I just purchased a 1999 Suzuki DR 350 SE. this is the last year of the air cooled 350. Water cooled is great....unless you drop it and need to walk back home to replace $ your radiator.
I like it because it is light (650 is just to heavy for off road) and has good speed (250's are just to slow) and it has electric start.
I sold my old CR250 and CB550 to buy this bike.
Unlike most people I'm not looking to "Supe it up" with mods. It took me a long time to find a low mileage stock bike. I'll more than likely do most of my ridding on the road with some off-road ridding on the weekends.
I am looking for an original rack, I know they have been discontinued.
Also does anyone know if a kickstarter can be added onto this bike.
I will also look for a Suzuki shop manual. Does anyone know where to get these Items online.
The starter seems to really labor, espacially when hot. is this a common problem?
I would like to hear from anyone who knows about these bikes.

I just purchased a 1999 Suzuki DR 350 SE. this is the last year of the air cooled 350. Water cooled is great....unless you drop it and need to walk back home to replace $ your radiator.
I like it because it is light (650 is just to heavy for off road) and has good speed (250's are just to slow) and it has electric start.
I sold my old CR250 and CB550 to buy this bike.
Unlike most people I'm not looking to "Supe it up" with mods. It took me a long time to find a low mileage stock bike. I'll more than likely do most of my ridding on the road with some off-road ridding on the weekends.
I am looking for an original rack, I know they have been discontinued.
Also does anyone know if a kickstarter can be added onto this bike.
I will also look for a Suzuki shop manual. Does anyone know where to get these Items online.
The starter seems to really labor, espacially when hot. is this a common problem?
I would like to hear from anyone who knows about these bikes.

ThankX

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Welcome to the club! I bought my '99 DR350SE with 3400 miles on it a few months ago and have put close to 1000 more on it since then. I had bought a DR650 for a dual sport and agree it's just a smidge too heavy for really tossing it around in the woods. The 650 could go everywhere the 350 has gone and just as fast, but the 350 is more fun and easier to handle off road. If I was slanting my bias toward the road, I'd take the 650, but I bought the dual sport to be legal between the trails.

The original rack is discontinued but I bought one of these and it's really well designed and made. Plus Brian is a great guy who owns like 5-10 DR350s!

You can add a kick starter, you just have to get all the parts together and install it. Here's a list or parts I collected, maybe from Maximum Suzuki, a lot of great DR350 guys hang out there and there's lot's of technical information and advice available. Join up and say high!

As far as the starting goes, make sure you have a fresh battery first, then if you haven't re-jetted it you will want to remove the carb and clean it good and re-jet. It will REALLY wake up this bike.

Talk to Jesse @ www.keintech.com and please tell him James from Georgia sent you. He has been a real help to me and my riding buddy. Jesse is VERY knowledgable on the DR350 having ridden and modified them for many years. He can provide you with the jets, an extended idle screw, and instructions as well as many other parts.

My bike was a little slow to turn over when I bought it and didn't run very well either, stumbling a little just off idle. After cleaning and re-jetting it runs like a scalded puppy! I have the stock idle jet, a 137.5 main jet, and removed the snorkle and cut a 3x3 opening in the top of the airbox.

Feel free to ask questions here (and over at Maximum Suzuki) since I've been sorting mine out for a few months now.

I'll get in there too... I had a 1991 DR350 back in Europe,
I bought it as thief recovery , fixed it up, got stolen from me, fixed is up, took it to morocco 2 years in a row, then a friend wanted to buy it.

Speaking of DR350's , anyone have trouble downshifting out of 5th? It seems to hang up in 5th gear unless I downshift under load. Really annoying, especially when at a stop light because I usually have to stall the bike, restart then down shift.

Is this a clutch issue? I checked the plates and springs and such, and they all looked good.

Speaking of DR350's , anyone have trouble downshifting out of 5th? It seems to hang up in 5th gear unless I downshift under load. Really annoying, especially when at a stop light because I usually have to stall the bike, restart then down shift.

Is this a clutch issue? I checked the plates and springs and such, and they all looked good.

Could it be a synchro problem inside the tranny?

Or, have I just got clutch outta whack or not adjusted right?

Could it be as simple as a shifter adjustment?

any help would be great.

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There are a couple of possible issues with the DR350 shifter and clutch. Head on over to Maximum Suzuki and look around there and ask them. Lot's of good DR350 folks hang there.

There is a bolt that comes loose and causes problems shifting and clearence problems with the clutch makit it creep in first with the clutch pulled in or hard to find nuetral.

The dr350 is one of my all time favorite bikes. I've been through a '97 se and a '98 dirt model (with a baja kit). I've done some great rides on them, including several ozark fall color tours and a few rides across new mexico and colorado. They also make great commuter/daily riders. Here's a report from summer '05 in new mexico/colorado

Mine is a 91, DR350E, dirt only, kickstart. It was kind of a basket case when I got it. The engine was rebuilt, the crank had the oil starvation problem, it blew up!! New Wesico piston too. New Clutch plates, The carb was shot, I tried a rebuild but it was just too tired to save. SO i got a new one from bikebandit.com, $300 plus. I rejetted it and it runs good once its started. Its just a PAIN IN THE ASS to start sometimes, kick and kick and kick. And the clutch

I need electric start. All in all though a good bike, I just hate when it stalls in the woods, hard to start when its hot. The clutch basket is soft aluminum so its tough to find neutral when its super hot. I could replace the basket with a new one from Jesse K but I don't know how much $$ I want to keep dumping in the bike.

I did an enduro school in Meriden CT a few weekends ago. It was from a dead start, which was a pain in the ass. I droped the bike a few times and stalled it out. I kicked it over soo trying to start it I wore myself out.

I like to say the bike has "character" :)

It was my first dirt bike in about 19 years, my old one was a KDX200 2 stroke.

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So My Bike was stolen...if anyone see's it please call the police....

I crashed my Multistrada and put the dirt bike out for sale. I figured I was out for the season with injuries and I should sell it and get a new one for next year. So....they cut the chain and off they went with it. I'll be checking eBay for my stolen parts too. If everyone could keep an eye out in the Connecticut area that would be VERY helpful

Does the DR350S/SE (or DR250S/SE) allow for fitting kickstart AND keeping the electric starter?

And what about vice versa, do the kickstart versions allow fitting the electric starter and keeping the kicker?

searched, didn't find the answer.

Trying to decide between the earlier kickstart models and the newer e-starts. I am finding a significant price difference between them.

I am new to bikes and have never kickstarted one.

I plan on using a DR for daily driver duty and everything else, including very remote backcountry,

I imagine not having a battery as a concern would be a benefit in remote areas. The kickstart seems to have a reliability advantage. I have also read, and can imagine, that the e-start must be nice on restarts on hills.

The reported difficulties with kickstarting the DR have me a little concerned...particularly when using it as a daily driver.

I figure having both would be ideal. I know the DRZ has both, but 1) it's not factory street legal in the US and 2) I read the engine won't run without a battery (2001 Dirt Bike Mag online article),

mine is a 96 dirt model that has been dual sported, kick only
there are no holes or any thing for a starter. it does have a very small
battery pack on it. Im guessing its just so the brake light can work if
engine dies?
been my daily driver for a couple months now, and love it.

mine is a 96 dirt model that has been dual sported, kick only
there are no holes or any thing for a starter. it does have a very small
battery pack on it. Im guessing its just so the brake light can work if
engine dies?
been my daily driver for a couple months now, and love it.

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Some states require the battery on a bike/car to power the lights for 15 min with the engine off. That's the reason for the battery pack on the baja/dual sport kits.

Does the DR350S/SE (or DR250S/SE) allow for fitting kickstart AND keeping the electric starter?

And what about vice versa, do the kickstart versions allow fitting the electric starter and keeping the kicker?

searched, didn't find the answer.

Trying to decide between the earlier kickstart models and the newer e-starts. I am finding a significant price difference between them.

I am new to bikes and have never kickstarted one.

I plan on using a DR for daily driver duty and everything else, including very remote backcountry,

I imagine not having a battery as a concern would be a benefit in remote areas. The kickstart seems to have a reliability advantage. I have also read, and can imagine, that the e-start must be nice on restarts on hills.

The reported difficulties with kickstarting the DR have me a little concerned...particularly when using it as a daily driver.

I figure having both would be ideal. I know the DRZ has both, but 1) it's not factory street legal in the US and 2) I read the engine won't run without a battery (2001 Dirt Bike Mag online article),

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Why do you say the DRZ are not legal ? Get an "S" model and you won't have troubles.

You would really be better off with a newer DRZ, I had 2 , and I had 2 DR350 also. DRZ is way better all around

I have a 1997 DR 350se and it has a plug on the side of the case for a kicker but I'm not sure if one will just bolt right on or if I need to buy something else for it? I would love to have the kicker as a back up. Anyone have any info??

I was speaking specifically of the DRZ250, not the 400. Sorry I wasn't clear.

So, does anyone know what the dual sport kits for the DR350/250 (dirt models) come with? not a battery then, I guess?

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They come ready to plug and go. I put one on a '98 dirt model and it was easy. Everything is tucked neatly into the headlight shroud (horn, battery, regulator/rectifyer, high-beam indicator....also, tail light and turn signals) and instructions are easy to follow...takes <1 hour to set up.

Yep, you've got the differences between the off road and on-road models down I think. Also, the newer off-road models had cartridge forks while the dual sport models didn't get them till 98 (I think the off road models got them in 96, but not sure).

A kick-starter can easily be added to the e-start models, several people have done it and I've seen a detailed writeup somewhere with pics and everything of the instal. It looked quite straightforward.